Release.

Chapter 4: Release.

Rik rubbed his temples. He had a migraine. His sister's persistent scoldings and the bank loans did a lot to add on to it. He did get a concession from the bank but travelling to such a far place was still rather expensive considering his paycheck.

He decided to substitute his lemon tea with strong coffee for the past few days. How he managed to obtain the visa and other related documents within two days was known only to him.

The sea of clouds visible from his window seat made him feel sleepy. He stared at them distracted for a while until the reflected sunrays started to stab his eyes, effectively making him see spots. His migraine worsened.

The huge passenger airship let out a low hum as it cut through the air propelled by its many turbines. It was much faster and stable as compared to the aeroplanes of Earthland. Even though some of its old technology was lost, the newer technology was much better despite starting over from scratch.

The airship lacked wings and was spindle shaped with eight other smaller, spindle shaped structures revolveing around it slowly. They were adhered to the craft by magnetic forces. It was sleek and much faster than normal carrier aircrafts of old. A passenger ship was almost as fast as a jet that was a popular military weapon during the warring Earthland ages.

The airhostess went around the economy class seats pushing a cart and serving lunch.

"Sir, what would you like to have? The menu is in the seat pocket in front of you."

Rik asked, "Do you have any painkillers? I have a splitting headache right now."

The airhostess asked one of her colleagues to get a first aid kit. She handed the painkillers over. "Is there anything else you need, Sir?"

"A cheese sandwich, please. And a can of Trexy. "

Rik munched on his snacks as he stared at the system screen in front of him. He was unable to connect to the Net due to the magnetic interferences of the aircraft. "System, what is the next follow up mission? Please tell me it has something to do with trying the speciality products there," he pleaded.

"Haha, Host, your jokes are funny," said the system in a monotone. If Rik could guess the non-existent gender of the System, then it would surely be a girl. An obstinate and overly cutesy one.

"Rik, a new daily mission has popped up! Sing a song to the lady sitting beside the man in front. Good luck! ♡♡♡"

"Will it turn into a romantic encounter?" It whispered to itself.

"Rejected."

"Aww, Host, do you want to face punishment?"

"That is a fake mission."

"Eh? How did you know?" The system was surprised at getting caught.

"Your pitch was slightly lower and you added in hearts."

"But I always add hearts!"

"It still was a fake mission. Plus you said, 'No daily missions for a month~♡', if I remember correctly." Rik had imitated the system's overly girly way of speaking.

"Host, does your head hurt?"

"Yes?"

"Enjoy your flight, Spoilsport Host."

"Argh!"

Rik held his head as a metal rock song blared through his throbbing brain.

" Excuse me, may I have a few more painkillers?"

"I'm sorry, Sir, I am unable to do that."

"Then please get me a cup of coffee, " said Rik with an exhausted face.

....

Doll was feeling faint. The punishment was supposed to be two days long. But for him, it was three because he had not eaten the day before being confined.

An average human's limit was three to five days without water. With the help of a System, it could last longer up to two weeks. And that was the guaranteed estimate.

The cramped Box made him feel claustrophobic. He felt suffocated. He had banged the door begging to be let out but his pleas were ignored. He stopped when he began to lose strength. The coldness was also one of the causes. The temperature was much lower inside the compartment than outside the orphanage where it snowed.

Two days was the longest punishment anyone received. Usually, an hour or two was enough to discipline a child.

His lips had turned blue and his fingers were stiff.He shivered and felt his bones ache. He felt like he was drowning as he descended into sleep.

Eeyore, the gloomy donkey, lazily laid his head on Doll's lap and enjoyed the bleak, foggy morning. It was finally peaceful after the storm, that was Tigger, had passed. It was just his kind of weather. Quiet and gloomy.

"Eeyore, why did you become friends with me?"

Eeyore simply replied, " Because you are nice and kind. And not bouncy at all, unlike a certain Tigger."

Doll didn't believe him.

"But, Eeyore, when have I ever been nice? I am slow and stupid. Just like Pooh says about himself, I am also a person of very little brain."

"Well, does it matter?"

"It does, a lot," answered Doll, as he brushed the grey donkey's mane.

" Does it matter here, in this forgotten, little corner of ours?"

"It doesn't."

"Then it is inconsequential," said Eeyore in his low, hoarse voice, " since we wouldn't need to use much brain to lie here like this in this wonderful little corner of the forest. Nothing ever matters anyway."

" Eeyore, I am also useless and selfish. I have no family because I am an Odd and the people who look like me don't like me."

" But Christopher Robin looks like you and he likes you. Even Pooh Bear and the little creature with excited ears, Piglet, does. And Rabbit and Owl and Kanga and Roo and Tigger like you."

"But it's different!"

"How?"

"It just is!"

" Well, do you like them? The people like you?"

"No."

"So that works out fine. They don't like you. You don't like them. You don't need to please them. You are you. They are them."

The conversation died down.

"Doll."

"Hm?"

"Thank you for being my uninteresting best friend. I hope we stay this way forever."

"Eeyore, where is your tail?", said Doll, a bit offended at being called uninteresting.

"Who knows? It was probably taken away by someone since it was attached to someone as pathetic as me."

Eeyore flopped down after getting up.

"How like them," he said after a pause,

"a pity, since I was rather attached to it."

Doll laughed. "Don't worry, Eeyore. We'll find it and attach it back to your rump."

"Eeyore!!" a loud voice called. "Lookie here! I found your tail!"

A Tigger with a spring like tail bounced in their direction.

"Here we go again. Why can't they bounce anywhere else but in my little corner? It gets awfully crowded", said the donkey sulkily.

Tigger boinged in singing his favourite song about Tiggers, spinning and doing somersaults as he waved a tail with a push pin still attached to it.

"... They are bouncy, trouncy, flouncy, pouncy. Fun, fun, fun, fun, fun!...." sang the Tigger.

"Well, you got your tail back again. Aren't you happy?"

"Well, I am a bit pleased," said Eeyore, "but I do dearly wish the song he is singing will stop. It is a cheerful tune but my ears can't handle too much cheerfulness."

.....

The door opened, letting in a crack of light. "Come out. Your punishment time is up. Wash up and go have your breakfast," ordered Sister Cremethy.

She waited for a while, but Doll hadn't come out. She peeked inside to check and shivered at the blast of cold. "Sleeping?"

She tried to shake him awake but he didn't even budge. The Nun was alarmed and called one of the older kids to help her get him to the infirmary.

Doll was unconscious and dehydrated. He had already lost a lot of water on the day he was confined and further lost some urinating in the box before falling unconscious. It perhaps was because of extreme fear that he was reduced to such a state.

The white haired boy woke up with bleary eyes. He had played in the Hundred Acre Woods again.

"You are you. They are them."

That's what Eeyore had told him.

Fine, then. It wasn't like he could change it anyway. He was an Odd. They weren't.

He felt a little numbness on his right hand. An IV drip was attached to him. The glucose solution steadily flowed into his bloodstream drop by drop. His hand was slightly swollen.

He was still weak but he was also bored. So, he settled on studying the cracks on the ceiling and the patterns on the curtains.

Tigger's song kept going on in his mind and he hummed along to it.

.....

Dinner time was not something that he looked forward to. As he made his way to his usual seat, he felt the biting glares on his back. He couldn't swallow his porridge. It felt thick and sticky in his throat.

He hurriedly tried to down a glass of milk as he ignored the quiet whispers.

" You."

He looked up. It was the boy whose bed was opposite his, Finn Gust. A rather unpleasant and snarky person.

Wham!

Doll felt his nose bleeding. His cutlery had splattered and he had toppled off his chair.

Finn had given him a solid punch to the face. "It's your fault! You killed him!" he growled.